I'm picky about my post-rock, but I like Jesu a lot, Neurosis occasionally, and Pelican OK. Most of it is just too vague and meandering...but records that lack lyrics (or identifiable ones, anyway) are best for my productivity.
Great choices... I've seen Jesu and Isis live in the past month or so; they both were great.
The last song I heard that really blew me away was "The Catastrophe and The Cure" by this group. I agree that it's good coding music too.
Definitely -- Tortoise is an old standby.
The name "post-rock" feels a little absurd to me, though.
Exactly. 'Post' implies it ended at some point. And that's something no one will ever agree on the when or if it has ever really died in the first place.